“There’s a burgeoning food community here, and we wanted to be early adopters,” says Nicholas Balfe, the owner of Holm restaurant with rooms in the village of South Petherton in southern Somerset.
“We’re at the beginning of something new,” he adds. And he’s right. Somerset is starting to cement itself as one of the go-to destinations for UK stays – it’s more affordable than the nearby celebrity-favoured Cotswolds and less touristy than Cornwall. But how did it get here after long being considered just a drive-through county? Through its food, of course.
For Balfe, South Petherton, which is sandwiched between Ilminster and Yeovil, has the makings of some of its nearby more well-known towns such as arty Frome or bouji Bruton. It’s easy to see why South Petherton is on the brink thanks to its honey-coloured historic buildings, which are draped in multicoloured bunting when I visit ahead of the carnival in September. There’s also thatched cottages with neatly potted pastel-coloured flowers in front gardens, a grand 15th-century church, a market square with a village hall and a busy village pub – all the hallmarks of a quintessential English countryside village. And being mere minutes off the A303, the main artery road through the southwest, makes it far easier to access than it looks on a map – meaning it’s just a matter of time until this part of Somerset is an in-vogue area.
Balfe will be ready. Holm’s restaurant opened in 2021, which in late 2023 was followed up with seven rooms upstairs, adding to the lure of spending the weekend there. Rooms have muted earthy palettes with lime-plastered walls and mis-matching furniture – a world away from a classic countryside house hotel. “I wanted to create a metropolitan restaurant but in the countryside,” he says.
Thankfully, the restaurant isn’t out of reach for his bread and butter locals, nor does it only cater for the DFLs (Down From London). Lunch is £29 for three courses (£25 for two) which hasn’t changed since opening. There’s also an à la carte in the evenings, plus a tasting menu on weekends, which at £69 is fantastic value considering the impressive level of cooking.
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